Emperors first used authentic china tea sets thousands of years ago. At that time, certain tea-drinking customs came into play that are still respected to this day.

One of the customs is finger tapping, which amazes many who are new to the world of Chinese tea. It is a gesture that shows your respect to your host.

It goes like this: when someone serves you tea, it’s polite not to say “thank you”, but rather to tap three fingers on the table. This lets the person know you’re appreciative of their service. It should be repeated every time you are served tea.

There’s no otherworldly or unreasonable explanation for this custom. It actually comes from a real occurance between an emperor and his subjects in the last dynasty.

At that time, the ruling emperor traveled all over the empire to see how everyday people were doing. He would go literally everywhere in the country. But he never missed a visit to the local tea house.

One day, the emperor and his two companions stopped by a tea house, where he became amazed by the way the waiters leaned across the table and poured tea without spilling a single drop. So he decided to try it out and pour Chinese tea for his companions.

Now having the emperor serve you tea was something completely unheard of. Even just being in the presence of the emperor usually meant you had to bow down. So what could his companions do? They couldn’t let everyone know he was the emperor by bowing down, but they had to thank him somehow.

Then one of the ministers thought of a way to thank the emperor: he tapped his fingers on the table, thereby symbolizing the bow he would have usually performed.

So that’s how this custom was started. It wasn’t long before everyone in the country was doing it, and even today people across the country and the world follow this tradition.

Next time you visit a Chinese tea house, try to observe the interesting finger tapping technique to quietly thank your host for their delicious Chinese tea and beautiful China tea sets!

Author D. Cheng has studied Chinese history and handicrafts such as china tea sets for ages. Sometimes, he endorses skilled Chinese craftsmen. Look at some beautiful Chinese tea sets.

Loose leaf tea has been used for thousands of years by many cultures for a variety of reasons. Enjoying a cup of tea at the end of a hard day has been the ritual for many. Sitting down with some Chamomile, Peppermint or Lemon Myrtle herbal tea, can ease a stressful day. The following are some of the most popular loose leaf teas used today.

HORNY GOAT Horny goat weed has been used in Chinese medicine for generations. It is said to increase libido in men and women, and improves erectile function in men. Although researches are unsure how this herb works, the plant has long been employed to restore sexual fire, boost erectile function, alleviate menopausal discomfort and allay fatigue.

GINSENG Ginseng has many uses and benefits, including its ability to help people deal with physical and/or emotional stress. It can improve your mental performance and help to lift depression and fight off infections. It has also been known to improve your vitality and sex drive for both women and men. It has also been shown in studies to regulate the immune system and can assist in the prevention of colds and flues. In case studies it has also been effective in lowering sugar content in the blood and lowering cholesterol levels. CAUTION Ginseng should not be taken by pregnant or breastfeeding women. Also ginseng should not be taken ifyou have an acute infection such as a cold. (although it is used to prevent colds).

LEMON BALM As well as being the sweetest tasting herb lemon Balm is also a great herb for stress. It is particularly good for indigestion where anxiety and tension play a part. As well as stimulating circulation making it a good herb to calm tension it can also be used for problems such as irritable bowel and stomach ulcers.

BEARBERRY Bearberry also known as uva ursi is an effective herb against infections of the bladder, urethra and kidney. It is used to not only kill infective organisms, but also soothes inflammation and strengthens the tissue in these areas. Bearberry is also used to relieve the pain of urinary tract infections such as pyelitis, cystitis and urethritis.

HAWTHORN Hawthorn herbal tea is renowned for use in most cardiac and circulatory disorders. It is well known to improve coronary artery blood flow and improve blood flow too the extremities. Many of the active constituents found in Hawthorn exhibit potent antioxidant properties. Hawthorn is also helpful for high blood pressure, hypertension and angina. CAUTION With serious conditions such as angina, heart failure and high blood pressure, it is wise to seek medical advice when mixing medication and herbs. Please seek advise from your doctor or herbalist or both.

Learn more about loose leaf tea. Stop by Herbal Tea The Natural Way.com where you can find out all about herbs and what they can do for you.

Tea and coffee are both drinks which inspire passion. More than just simple beverages, tea and coffee are part of a cultural phenomenon filled with social meaning and ritual. They both have fairly long, extensive histories?here?s a short look at them.

Legend has it that coffee was first discovered in Ethiopia; the local shepherds realized that their herds, after munching on the stuff growing wild all around them, couldn?t sleep at night. Another tale tells of a man who was banished to the desert; this man called Omar, found only the coffee plant and in a bout of desperation, boiled it. The plant saved his life and the residents of a neighboring town, called Mocha, took it as a miracle.

Historians believe that coffee was first drank around 1000 AD. In Yemen (southern Arabia), Sufi monks apparently brewed the drink within their monasteries. The drink traveled to Yemen and Egypt via Ethiopia. As with so many other inventions, we can credit the Arabians for introducing the roasting and brewing technique we are familiar with in these modern times. From the Middle East, the plant spread to Northern Africa by around 1450. It then took off in Europe by way of Italy; from there it spread to Indonesia and then eventually America.

In order to protect their investment, Arabians made their coffee beans infertile by boiling them before shipping them out. According to legend, an Indian man whose name was Baba Budan defied the Arabian measures by sneaking out fertile beans strapped to his stomach. Thus came coffee to Europe through ancient Venice and the beverage boomed.

By the year 1616 the Arab ban on exporting coffee was flouted by the Dutch who began to export and import coffee at their own behest. They grew coffee in the Dutch colonized areas of Java and Ceylon. By 1711, this new Indonesian coffee was being exported into the Netherlands.

Today, coffee is drunk the world over. Brewing the perfect cup has become something of an art form. It?s not just water and beans, but rather, temperature, water quality, roast and care.

Tea has a long history. Legend has it that it was first discovered in ancient China, some 5,000 years ago. The emperor Shen Nung required that water be boiled, for hygienic reasons. One day, he was visiting a far off land and having stopped to rest, the servants prepared boiled water for the court to drink. Some dried up leaves from a bush fell into the boiling water, turning it brown. The emperor?s curiosity was piqued and he drank the mixture and found it pleasing. Thus tea was first created.

Tea was big in ancient China. Lu Yu wrote a comprehensive book on tea in the year 800 AD describing cultivation methods, tea drinking practices and rituals. The book became very popular.

The Japanese weren?t introduced to the beverage until the priest Yeisei brought it back to his homeland from China some years later. After that tea was big in Japan.

Tea was introduced to Europe in 1560 via the Portuguese Jesuit Jasper de Cruz. From there it spread like wild fire.

Damian Papworth adores the Krups 4 cup coffee maker. You can read the review on the One Cup Coffee Makers site.

If you have never tried it then you should really find out about the health benefits of white tea. More so than green tea it offers several life enhancing properties.

Only recently introduced into the western world the number of white tea varieites are growing.

Usually you will find that as it is new white tea often suffers from distribution problems and so it may be harder to find on the shelves of your local store.

But despite all this the health benefits of white tea remain stronger than other teas which makes the search for it all the more rewarding.

The Best Tea Out There

The first reason that white tea is better for you is that you can consume in one cup more antioxidents but less caffeine than any other tea.

This fact alone is a good enough reason to switch to white tea.

A Weapon In The Struggle Against Cancer

It is widely known that green tea may be helpful to the prevention of cancer, but the white variety appears to do a better job. In several studies it has been found that it seems to inhibit DNA mutations, which is what usually happens when some forms of cancer appear.

In addition, it has also been found to inhibit the precursor to colon cancer. All of this is important evidence for scientists and researchers today. While more research is still needed, the evidence for benefits of white tea is certainly clear.

Helping To Fight Obesity

Other benefits may include fighting of obesity. As mentioned, it contains more antioxidants than other varieties of tea, and this is important for weight and fat loss factors among many other issues.

You may have read recently that researchers upon injecting a tea extract into fat cells then observed them breaking down. There is a fair way to go before this is proven to happen just by drinking tea but progress goes on.

Hopefully this article has illustrated that there are benefits of white tea worth investigating and that you could give yourself a boost by changing to it straight away.

Want to find out more about the benefits of white tea, then visit Liam Nelson’s site on how to choose the best white tea varieties for your needs.

With our fast paced lives that consist of fast food, preservatives, and little sleep, depriving our bodies of essential vitamins and nutrients. Herbal loose leaf tea can be beneficial in balancing and cleansing our bodies by replenishing us with the minerals and vitamins that we need day to day. The following is a list of herbs that can be used for many conditions and ailments, as well as providing the stimulating or soothing tonic that we need.

ROSEMARY Rosemary has many medicinal qualities. It is used for many ailments including digestive problems, muscle pain, rheumatism, flatulence, and gastrointestinal upsets. It also stimulates liver function and is excellent treatment to prevent hair loss and premature baldness. CAUTION because of its stimulating nature Rosemary is not appropriate for people with high blood pressure.

ROSEMARY Rosemary has many medicinal qualities. It is used for many ailments including digestive problems, muscle pain, rheumatism, flatulence, and gastrointestinal upsets. It also stimulates liver function and is excellent treatment to prevent hair loss and premature baldness. CAUTION because of its stimulating nature Rosemary is not appropriate for people with high blood pressure.

OAT STRAW Oat straw is an effective remedy for gastrointestinal inflammations, exhaustion and fevers. It is also effective for problems effecting your bladder, ureters and kidneys. It can also be used for herpes infections, liver ailments, kidney problems shingles and lumbago.

MYRTLE Myrtle has many uses including easing flatulence and promoting the flow of mucus from the bronchi and nasal passages, helping to get rid of colds and chest complaints. The oil in myrtle also is anti-inflammatory making it ideal herbal option for easing rheumatic and arthritic pain.

BIRCH Birch is renowned for its use for rheumatism, cystitis, gout, arthritic pain and as a reliable solvent of stones in the kidneys. Birch can also be used externally for promoting hair growth and for skin complaints such as acne and eczema.

BEDSTRAW Bedstraw is renowned for its use for kidney disorders, thyroid gland complaints and for the lymphatic system. Bedstraw can also be used externally for skin complaints such as psoriasis, arthritis and eczema.

CALENDULA Calendula is a valuable herb for digestive inflammations and complaints such as gastric and duodenal ulcers. Calendula is helpful for treating fungal infections, and is also used to treat skin diseases and delayed menstruation. Externally calendula promotes healing of slow healing wounds, skin ulcers, varicose veins, inflammation of the skin, external bleeding, minor burns and scalds.

Learn more about herbal loose leaf tea. Stop by Herbal Tea The Natural Way.com where you can find out all about herbs and what they can do for you.

When it comes to our morning beverages, there are a lot of things to be weary of. You hear how bad coffee is for you so you switch to tea. Then you read that tea has more caffeine than coffee and could also be harmful for you. Two weeks later you read another study that says the opposite of the first two. Amongst all of this controversy, one thing has always remained true, drinking green tea is good for you.

For years, people have been picking this beverage apart and they have found what other cultures have known for centuries, greed tea is very good for you. It is mentioned as an aid in fighting things like cancer, heart disease, diabetes and as a weight loss aid. When you look at all of these benefits, it is hard not to sit up and take notice.

One of the reasons that green tea is so popular amongst the health advocates is because it is loaded with antioxidants. These antioxidants are what are known to fight against cancer. The same can be said for certain fruits, such as blueberries, that are always recommended to be a part of everyone’s diet.

Another great characteristic of green tea is its ability to aid in weight loss and helping to lower your cholesterol. It is so popular in this area that you will regularly see it in a powder form and added to many weight loss formulas. Study after study continues to prove that it is very effective in this manner. Because it promotes weight loss, it is also helpful in lowering people’s cholesterol levels and then of course gets grouped in with things that also help prevent diabetes and heart issues.

The challenge for some is how to work green tea into their diet. While there are plenty of supplements out there that contain green tea in them, the other ingredients may not be so beneficial. That being the case, it may be better to ingest the green tea in its natural form. Now if you don’t like hot tea, there is another way to get your daily intake.

Iced tea is something that for some reason people do not automatically associate with green tea. They are so used to seeing it promoted as a diet supplement or served as a hot drink, that this never crosses their mind. It is a big mistake and iced green tea is not only refreshing, but very healthy as well.

If plain tea does not get you too excited, try adding some of your favorite citrus fruits to it during the brewing process. If you really want to give it a flavor kick, leave the rinds on and you will have an incredible glass of orange, lime or lemon green iced tea waiting for you when you are ready.

If you would like more information on tea, check out Cafe-List.com. It has great advice on not only how to make the best tea, but also on things like the best tea rooms across the country.

For about 4,500 years, green tea has been used as a healthy drink. For sure, ancient people discovered the health benefits of consuming green tea leaves long ago. Our own scientific community has now verified the health benefits of drinking green tea by teaching us exactly what compounds in this drink do what. But what you likely do not know is that your used green tea leaves can be used in several ways around your home.

When you finish using the tea leaves to make a cup of tea, put the used leaves in a strainer and drain out all the moisture. Now lay them out on unprinted paper and set them in the sun for a couple of days. You many need to flip them after a day. What you will end up with is used and dried tea leaves. These leaves are very useful. Below is a list of things you can do with these healing leaves.

Carpet Cleaning – Sprinkle some of the crushed leaves into your carpet. They are great at absorbing odor. Keep them on the carpet for several minutes then use a vacuum to pick them up. The leaves will deodorize your carpet as well as your vacuum bag.

Gardening – Tea leaves can be crushed and mixed in with the dirt at the base of your plants. They help irrigate the dirt allowing nutrients and water to flow to the roots. They also provide a source of nitrogen which will help them grow faster.

Deodorizing – Dried green tea leaves are a natural deodorizer. You can use them to deodorize various areas of your home. Crush them and sprinkle them on your dogs bed, then vacuum them up. You can put some in your refrigerator in an uncovered bowl for a few days. Some people even use them to deodorize their hands after slicing garlic or some other strongly scented foods.

Pillow Stuffing – The aroma that comes from the crushed green tea leaves will help you sleep. Make a pillow out of your used tea leaves. The pillow will give off a scent that is not strong enough to keep you awake. Keep in mind that your breath will cause moisture to build up in a tea pillow so you will need to air it out once a week.

Skin Care – Green tea leaves have healing properties. They are perfect for healing minor cuts and scrapes. Many drug stores now sell a green tea solution that does this. Rumor has it that green tea leaves also help with puffy eyes. Put some dried leaves into a small cotton bag and run water over it. Squeeze out the extra water and then place the bag over your closed eyes for a few minutes each day.

These are just some of the ways you can take your used green tea leaves and use them in useful ways around your house. If you have discovered your own use for used green tea leaves around your house, write to me and let me know. If your idea is a good one, I will include it in the list above.

I hope you find this article on green tea helpful. To discover more about the incredible health benefits of drinking a glass of green tea everyday visit buy green tea and for the widest selection of teas at the lowest prices visit buy tea